Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-16
MlTCHELL'S LIBEL.
wHYYRrEHD JOHN BACON CRExsHAw
WAS AssAILgD.
A Statement from the Latter ~ to tho
Origin Of the Article.

Sunday the Dispatch said that the
Hastings Court grand jury had indicted
John Mitchell, Jr., (colored) for mali
cious libel. Mitchell had published an
article in the Planet about this venera-
BILE gentleman--a minister of the So
ciety of Friends--calling him, in sub
stance, a liar, and charging him with
having misrepresented important facts.
Yesterday the Dispatch asked Mr..
Crenshaw for statement of the case,
and he answered:
Il did not have anything to do with
causing the indictment of the young
man, and did not know when the
officers summoned me before the grand
Jury for what purpose was summoned
until informed by the Commonwealth's
Attorney.
81 have no acquaintance with the
young man do not remember ever to
have seen him until week or more
ago, when he called in my office and
asked me to give him a statement about
the manner in which the Moore-Street
Industrial School is conducted that
the public are entitled to know how
such institutions are conducted. re-
ferred him to John Oliver, the general
agent, who, thought, would give him
the desired information and furnish
him copy of the last report OF the di-
rectors, published very lately. which
would answer most of the questions he
had asked. He then said /: 'Some OF
lis who are trying to look into this mat
ter have been to John Oliver, but can
get no satisfaction from him, and think
something is going on wrong
81 replied that as far as ! know
there is nothing secret or wrong going
on. If anything of the kind were to
come to my knowledge | should at
once expose it, and believe that any
gentleman, white or colored, who pro-
perly approached the members OF the
Board of Directors would be furnished
with all proper information about it.
again he insisted upon my making
out a statement for him, 10 which |
replied: lam not paid officer Of this
institution have never received one
cent for the nine years l have acted as
their treasurer and general adviser, and
cannot have my time taken up in this
way, and have already referred you TO
the proper source TO get the informa-
ton At this his editorial dignity
seemed offended.
" 1t is manifest that the object of his
personal attack upon me was to damage
beforehand the evidence | might give
in suit now pending in the Chancery
Court by a party who have (by a deed
which believe to be illegaD obtained
possession of the largest building on
the Noore-Shect Industrial property,
J and are depriving the said institution
of its use--although they know per-
fectly well that not one dollar that was
used in the purchase OF this property
was contributed for the purpose OF
establishing a Baptist church. True
the Prospectus states that divine
services were to be conducted there
for the benefit of the school, which
was to be strictly undenominahonal.
81 told him plainly how wrong |
thought it was in the sight of God thus
to peryert the Use of the property from
the purpose for which the donors had
given their money, and l believe that
as soon as this unjust proceeding is
brought to the notice of the Court this
illegal deed will be suppressed and the
property restored to the control of the
Board Of Directors of the Moore
Street Industrial School.
$50 far as Il am personally concerned
| should have treated the Young mans
attack with that pity and silent con-
tempt it SO richly deserved"